Gold again. A mossy wall of living fungi at the RHS Chelsea Flower Show, built by the Caley Brothers, sponsored by us.
Mushrooms are having a moment, and this year visitors to the RHS Chelsea Flower Show had the chance to experience their magic up close. After winning multiple RHS Gold Medals for their immersive mushroom exhibits, the Caley Brothers returned with their most ambitious display yet: Beyond the Button, Exploring the Diversity of Fungi. It won Gold again.
Who the Caley Brothers are
One of the UK's leading specialists in home-grown edible and functional mushrooms, Caley Brothers was founded by two sisters with a passion for sustainability, food innovation and reconnecting people with nature through fungi.
"Our mission is to demystify the world of mushrooms and inspire people to grow their own at home. We believe mushrooms hold the key to a healthier, more sustainable future, and this year's exhibit is designed to show visitors exactly why."
Beyond the button
For decades the humble button mushroom has been a kitchen staple, finding its way into everything from comforting stews to simple omelettes. But the world of fungi is vast, vibrant and full of extraordinary diversity, and Beyond the Button invited visitors to explore it.
The exhibit celebrated mushrooms beyond the familiar, showcasing everything from oysters and shiitake to coral tooth, cordyceps and a fascinating range of native UK varieties.
How it was built
A mossy backdrop layered with sustainably sourced moss from the Highlands of Scotland, gentle drifting mist and flourishing mushrooms showcased in frames turned the space into a living fungi experience. In keeping with the Caley Brothers' sustainability values, the build eliminated peat, plastic and polystyrene throughout.
But Beyond the Button is more than a visual display. It is an invitation to engage with the future of food, sustainability and regenerative growing. Whether you are a gardener, a grow-your-own enthusiast, a food lover, a forager or simply curious about the role fungi play in our ecosystem, the exhibit offered a chance to discover how mushrooms can support biodiversity, sustainable living and healthier diets.
Visitors could also learn how easy it is to grow mushrooms at home and explore the growing movement around edible and functional fungi. From forest floor to fork, the exhibit aimed to inspire a deeper appreciation for mushrooms and the important role they may play in shaping a healthier future for people and the planet.
Our part in it
We are proud to once again support the Caley Brothers, sponsorship that reflects a shared belief in the power of functional mushrooms and natural wellbeing. Highland Moss joined the show too, showcasing their first class, sustainably grown and sourced natural, peat free moss. Together we hope to encourage more people to explore the extraordinary benefits and potential of fungi.
Our job was the drinks and the conversation: Liquid FOCUS, Liquid RELAX and Liquid POWER served cold from a wheelbarrow of ferns and moss, with a seven-foot fly agaric doing crowd work on the path outside.
The mushroom list
Every species on the wall, by common and Latin name.
- Lion's Mane Mushroom, Hericium erinaceus
- Coral Tooth Mushroom, Hericium coralloides
- Shiitake, Lentinula edodes
- Reishi Mushroom, Ganoderma lucidum
- Cordyceps Mushrooms, Ophiocordyceps militaris
- Tarragon Oyster Mushrooms, Pleurotus euosmus
- Speckled Chestnut Mushroom, Pholiota adiposa
- Pink Oyster Mushrooms, Pleurotus djamor
- King Oyster Mushrooms, Pleurotus eryngii
- Enoki Mushrooms, Flammulina filiformis
- Turkey Tail Mushrooms, Trametes versicolor
- Closed Cap Mushrooms, Agaricus bisporus
Four of those species do the heavy lifting in our own range: lion's mane in FOCUS, reishi in RELAX and DREAM, cordyceps in ENERGY, shiitake in Liquid POWER. Seeing them alive, fruiting from a block on a wall rather than milled into a capsule, is the best argument for functional mushrooms anybody has made to us.
More on the exhibit in the Caley Brothers' own words: caleybrothers.co.uk.
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